Fireplace tools



July 3, 1962 B, TURNER 3,042,438

FIREPLACE TOOLS Filed May 1, 1959 l4; |s F 22/ j INVENTOR. HQ 2 gown/8. Beds/ A. bu 17/ M4 United States Patent Ofitice BJMZABS Patented July 3, 1962 3,042,438 FIREPLACE TOOLS John B. Turner, Lake Road, RD. 1, P.(). Box 328, Norwich, N.Y. Filed May 1, 159, Ser. No. 810,351 4 Claims. (Cl. 294-11 This invention relates to fireplace implements and more particularly relates to an improved type of fire tong.

Fire tongs are of quite ancient origin and in their older form were designed solely for utilitarian purposes in an age when the fireplace or hearth provided the sole means of heat for the dwelling. In recent years, the home fireplace has again achieved popularity, thereby creating a need for the same variety of fire implements which were so common at an earlier age. At the present time, however, these early implements find little acceptance due to their heavy and cumbersome nature, their lack of a modern appearance and their generally high cost of reproduction or manufacture.

It is accordingly 2. primary object of the present invention to provide an improved fire tong which is light in weight, simple in appearance, and economical to manufacture.

It is another object of the invention to provide a fire tong of the foregoing type which is designed to serve a dual function and which is more particularly designed to provide a grappling tool along with a hook which may be handled in the same manner as a poker.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a fire tong of the foregoing type capable of serving the purpose of both a fire tong and a poker.

These and further objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon reference to the following specification and claims and the appended drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a fire tong constructed according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a further side elevation, partly in section, of FIGURE 1 with the top ornament removed;

FIGURE 3 is a top view of the cap end of the fire tong of FIGURES l and 2 with the ornament and ornament stud removed and without showing the lower ends of the tong;

FIGURE 4 is a partial cross-section showing the top assemblage of the tongs and taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

Referring more particularly to the figures of the drawing, the fire tong of the invention is formed of a pair of outer bars and 12 pivoted to an inner bar 14 by means of a rivet 16. The cross-sectional dimensions of the three bars is preferably similar so that the inner bar 14 nests between the outer bars it and 12 over the major portion of the length of the tong.

The lower ends 18 and 20 of the outer bars 10 and 12 are arcuately curved outwardly from a center line between the bars as shown in FIGURE 2. These same outer bars are also arcu'ately curved to the left in a sec- 0nd direction away from the center line as shown in FIGURE 1. Referring to FIGURE 1, the inner bar 14 has an end indicated generally :at 22 which has. a portion 23 which is curved arcuately in the second direction of outer bars 18 and 20. The end 22 also has a straight portion 24 which terminates in a hook 26 having an obliquely cut end 28. The lowermost point of the obliquely cut end 28 falls in a plane formed by the lower edges of the three bars 10, 12 and 14 as indicated by the dashed line 30.

The upper ends of the outer bars terminate in a Cap generally indicated at 32. This cap is stamped from sheet metal so as to comprise a top 34, depending sidewalls 36, and depending end walls 38, as is best seen in FIGURES 3 and 4. The depending side walls 36 are scalloped as shown at 40 in FIGURE 2. As is seen in FIGURE 4, the upper ends of the outer bars 10 and 12 rest against the underside of the top 34 of the cap 32. A pair of Allen head screws 42 pass through apertures 46 in the depending end walls 38 and enter and engage screw threaded bores 48 in the outer bars 10 and 12. Suitable lockwashers 50 are provided beneath the heads of the screws and the cap in order to insure permanence of the assemblage. It will be apparent that the two screws 42 in conjunction with the rivet l6 secure the three bar members together in operative relationship.

A threaded ornament mounting stud 52 passes through a threaded opening 54 in the top 34 of cap 32 and screwthreadedly engages the inner surfaces of the outer bars 10 and 12. That is to say, a vertical bore is drilled down between the upper ends of bars 10 and 12 and this is screwthreaded to receive the ornament stud 52. Referring to FIGURE 1, the stud may receive a spacer 54 and a suitable ornament 56. Obviously, the ornament 56 could be mounted directly onto the stud 52 without the spacer 54 or, in the alternative, it would be possible to use diiierent sizes and shapes of ornaments.

The upper end of the inner bar 14 is bent downwardly at 58 as seen in FIGURE 1 and terminates in an oblique end 6i). This bent portion is apertured at 62 and may receive a ring 64 for pulling the inner bar from its nesting position between the outer bars. The inner bar may be locked in its nested position by means of a dimple 66 on the inner bar which mate with a depression 68 on the outer bar 10. The dimple 66 is of such a height that the inner bar 14 must be sprung into position so that the dimple locks in the depression 68.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the outer bars 10 and 12 may be formed of cold rolled steel bar stock having a cross-section of by and having a blackened finish. The inner bar 14 may be formed of brass of a similar cross-section and the ring 64 may also be of brass. The cap 32 is preferably formed of brass as are the spacer 54 and ornament 56. The overall length of the tongs from the end of the cap 32 to the bottom of the bars may be varied to suit the particular fireplace and may range between approximately 18 and 25 inches.

The foregoing description and drawing is illustrative of the fact that the tongs of this invention are quite slender in appearance and, when in the nested condition, are capable of use as a poker utilizing the hook 26 on the inner bar 14. The inner bar 14 is curved in the same direction as the outer bars 10 and 12 in FIGURE 1, so as to prevent the outer bars from interfering with the use of the inner bar as a poker. By pulling the ring 64, the detent comprising dimple 66 and depression 68 releases the inner bar so that grappling tongs may be formed by the lower ends of the bars in the usual manner of fire tongs. When this is done, the particular shape and curvature of the bars facilitates grasping a. log. The cap 32 and mounting screws 42 provide for rapid and economical assembly of the unit, as does the particular mode of assembling the ornament stud 52. The cap provides an ornamental appearance while providing for economical assemblage of the unit. Various types of ornaments may be used and, if desired, the ring 64 may be dispensed with.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A fireplace tool comprising a pair of outer bars secured together at upper ends thereof and pivoted to an inner bar nesting between said outer bars, said bars being pivoted intermediate the ends thereof, said outer bars having upper portions which are parallel and lie in a first plane which contains the axis on which said inner bar pivots relative to said outer bars, said outer bars having lower portions curved in the same direction away from said first plane and curved in opposite directions away from a second plane passing through said inner bar perpendicular to said first plane, said inner bar having an upper portion parallel to and between the upper portions of said outer bars and having a lower portion lying in said second plane but curved away from said first plane and terminating in hook means extending toward said first plane, said inner bar having handle means at the upper end thereof to permit it to be pivoted out of its nesting position.

2. A fireplace tool comprising a pair of outer bars secured together at upper ends thereof and pivoted to an inner bar nesting between said outer bars, said bars being pivoted intermediate the ends thereof, said outer bars having upper portions which are parallel and lie 'in a first plane which contains the axis on which said inner bar pivots relative to said outer bars, said outer bars having lower portions curved in the same direction away from said first plane and curved in opposite directions away from a second plane passing through said inner bar perpendicular to said first plane, said inner bar having an upper portion parallel to and between the upper portions of said outer bars and having a lower portion lying in said second plane but curved away from said first plane and terminating in hook means extending toward said first plane, the end of the upper portion of said inner bar being curved away from said first plane in the opposite direction that said lower portion of said inner bar is curved, whereby said end of said upper portion of said inner bar serves as handle means to permit said inner bar to be pivoted relative to said outer bars.

3. A fireplace tool comprising a pair of outer bars secured together at upper ends thereof and pivoted to an inner bar nesting between said outer bars, said bars being pivoted intermediate the ends thereof, said outer bars having upper portions which are parallel and lie in a first plane which contains the axis on which said inner bar pivots relative to said outer bars, said outer bars having lower portions curved in the same direction away from said first plane and curved in opposite directions away from a second plane passing through said inner bar perpendicular to said first plane, said inner bar having an upper portion parallel to and between the upper portions of said outer bars and having a lower portion lying in said second plane but curved away from said first plane and terminating in hook means extending toward said first plane, the end of the upper portion of said inner bar being curved away from said first plane in the opposite direction that said lower portion of said inner bar is curved, whereby said end of said upper portion of said inner bar serves as handle means to permit said inner bar to be pivoted relative to said outer bars, and detent means between said inner bar and at least one of said outer bars releasably holding said inner bar in its nesting position.

4. A fireplace tool comprising a pair of outer bars secured together at upper ends thereof and pivoted to an inner bar nesting between said outer bars, said bars being pivoted intermediate the ends thereof, said outer bars having upper portions which are parallel and lie in a first plane which contains the axis on which said inner bar pivots relative to said outer bars, said outer bars having lower portions curved in the same direction away from said first plane and curved in opposite directions away from a second plane passing through said inner bar perpendicular to said first plane, said inner bar having an upper portion parallel to and between the upper portions of said outer bars and having a lower portion lying in said second plane but curved away from said first plane and terminating in hook means extending toward said first plane, the end of the upper portion of said inner bar being curved away from said first plane in the opposite direction that said lower portion of said inner bar is curved, whereby said end of said upper portion of said inner bar serves as handle means to permit said inner bar to be pivoted relative to said outer bars, detent means between said inner bar and at least one of said outer bars releasably holding said inner bar in its nesting position, and ornamental handle means attached to the upper ends of said outer bars at the position where they are secured together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 87,876 Russell Mar. 16, 1869 1,630,013 Hyatt May 24, 1927 1,867,678 Rayburn July 19, 1932 2,486,496 Romazon Nov. 1, 1949 

